Slim majority says U.S. middle class pays fair tax share
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large majority of Americans think corporations pay too little in taxes, although the view that corporations pay their fair share has edged upward.
Americans' views about the taxes of upper- and lower-income people haven't changed much from last year, with more than six in 10 saying upper-income Americans pay too little, while about half say lower-income people pay too much.
Despite these changes, this year's pattern of attitudes about the tax burden of the four taxpayer groups is consistent with the historical pattern.
Americans broadly agree that corporations and upper-income people pay too little, while they have more mixed feelings about the lower- and middle-income tax burden.
In spite of this uncertainty about the personal impact of the tax bill, the proportion of Americans saying middle-income people pay their fair share rose this year from 40% to 51%.
The percentage saying middle-income people pay too much dropped concomitantly from 51% to 42%. This year's poll also found a decrease in the percentage of Americans describing their personal taxes as "too high." ■